I Remember
by Daisuke Kazamatsuri
Summary: Kazu goes over his life with Ikki as he lays beneath the stars.


_I remember seeing you for the first time, standing in the crowd and watching with terror as you stood atop the tower, staring at the sky. Gasping in horror as you leapt and were falling, waiting for your wings to burst from your back. Watching as you caught the large bird and made yet another friend in flight._

Kazu stared into the sky, watching the stars as they made their slow movement across the night's canvas. He was waiting. For what, he didn't know, but he knew that he was waiting for something important.

_I remember meeting you for the first time, recognizing you and staring as you commented on my hair, laughing at the color aloud. You were the first to be so blunt about it, and all you had to do was point and stare as you awoke a feeling I wouldn't understand for years._

He fiddled with his hat's rim, scratching at his forehead as he stared at the beautiful diamonds in the heavens.

_I remember following you around for years after that, acting like a lost puppy as you ridiculed and bullied me into your shadow._

Kazu leaned back so he lay with his hands behind his head, adopting Ikki's usual pose. He was wondering where the crow was this late at night.

_I remember your comment on my hat - a laugh because you knew why - when I first started wearing it and never wanting to take it off because you noticed._

He fiddled with his hat again, this time with the top, debating letting his hair go free.

_I remember watching as you took the same old arrogance and rounded up all of us that couldn't defend ourselves, creating what we would later call the East Side Gunz._

Then he saw Ikki's face in his mind's eye, commenting that Kazu would only wear it because of his sister's teasing. Familiarity flowed through him and he decided to leave the hat where it was.

_I remember coming back to you in complete embarrassment at my first date - I had thrown up as soon as I had left the theater._

A silhouette covered the street lamp's light behind him, and Kazu looked up into the leader of Kogorasumaru's face.

_I remember all of the laughs that we had over the years in the gang, holding reign over the area for the happiest times we thought we would ever have._

They talked for a while, laughing at the recent events between team members, reminiscing at old times, and generally being friends.

_I remember watching in horror at myself as I betrayed you and left you to the Skull Saders, believing that they would leave us be if no one resisted, and that if they beat you you wouldn't resist._

"You know, I always come here now, waiting for something. But I can't figure out just what I'm waiting for." Kazu sighed as he looked to the dark canvas again.

_I remember being horrified further as I watched myself throw your ATs out the window the next day, killing myself for the look on your face that I had caused._

"Hm...maybe it's a person you're waiting for? It seems like that would be the case with you." Ikki smirked at Kazu's blush.

_I remember the embarrassment at my actions as I returned your ATs to you that evening, and my relish of the look of gratitude that crossed your face for that split second._

"Maybe." Kazu admitted as he scratched his cheek in embarrassment, face redder than the sunset.

_I remember my awe at seeing you use the ATs in person for the first time._

"Maybe I'm waiting for a chance to fly." Kazu smiled in sadness as he looked into the sky, avoiding the crow's persistent gaze.

_I remember my yearning to see you the night we awaited you at the school, wearing our own ATs for the first time._

"Hah. Who am I kidding. Next to you, my flights are like rocks skipping over water - I'll get a foot above a couple of times, then I'll fall and sink."

_I remember my first victory, heart swelling with a feeling that I was still only on the verge of identifying as you gave me that prideful look._

"That's not true." Ikki smiled, causing the jet to finally look in his eyes.

_I remember the battles since then, and my heart still swelling with that unidentifiable feeling as you watched with pride, or my entire spirit sinking with the loss that I had caused the team._

"Your leaps may not be very high, but they go very far very quickly." Ikki's eyes sparkled.

_I remember the first time I awakened the Flame Road in myself and finally identifying that feeling - absolute ecstasy._

"So far that they make it across the ocean and have to skid to a stop, raising flames behind you as you fly."

_I remember realizing that you were all I thought about now. Even AT couldn't occupy my mind without you in it anymore._

Kazu searched Ikki's eyes for any sign of deception - for any sign that Ikki was anything but completely sincere at that very moment.

_I remember the day you came over to my house, cold, wet, and with tears streaming down your face with your eyes wide. The day that Ringo left._

Kazu's eyes watered, narrowing to keep the tears from spilling, face grimacing to concentrate on it. "Yeah, right. There's no way that's true." Kazu's eyes widened then, tears finally spilling as Ikki nearly tackled him into a hug.

_I remember the day I had to slap you for thinking of disbanding the team, tears running down my face as I screamed at you for being so selfish. Because not even a god was so selfish, only a human could be so selfish, and weren't you a god?_

Kazu's eyes narrowed slightly again, though the smile stayed planted on his face and the tears kept flowing. "I think I know who I was waiting for now." Ikki turned to him, not breaking the embrace. "Who?" he asked.

_I remember the day we finally became Kings - true Kings, not just a new title and an unofficial. The day that we were introduced to the one thing that would keep us going for the rest of our lives - true freedom._

"You." Kazu stared into the crow's surprised eyes, "I love you." Ikki's face gained a smile and his eyes lidded to half-mast.

_I remember climbing the Trophaum, ropes slowly wrapping around our ankles without our notice, tying us to the spot we claimed from the last team we beat. But we never noticed, because instead of looking at our feet, looking where we were, we looked ahead to the next team and became unaware of our own retention._

"I love you too." They kissed beneath the stars' blessings, opening the door to a newer, higher sky than ever before.

_I had forgotten, as you had, what it was like to fly._


End file.
